


Apologies

by Aeshna_cyanea



Series: Forgiveness [1]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode 3.19 Orange Is The New Maze, Feelings, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Lucifer makes deals, Maze apologizes to Trixie, Trixie is a great friend, Trixie is cunning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 17:37:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17471963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeshna_cyanea/pseuds/Aeshna_cyanea
Summary: Before Maze leaves LA behind her, there is one last thing she has to do. It does not turn out the way she planned.





	Apologies

Maze took a deep breath and then blew it out again, steeling herself for what lay ahead. The last thing she had to do before leaving LA forever was also going to be the hardest. But it had to be done. What made it worse was that she had been forced to wait for the right moment, spending hours with nothing left to do but think about what lay ahead. She had gone through endless scenarios in her head, one worse than the other. And now that the moment had come, she was hesitating, anxiety crackling along her nerves, making her want to just turn on her heel and leave. She scoffed at herself. Some demon she was. No. She would not run away scared. She owed it to her friend, to the only true friend she ever had.  
  
Taking another deep breath and letting it out again, Maze rang the doorbell of the apartment she used to live in. Her demonic hearing easily picked up the voice of her friend as she called out to whatever babysitter was watching her, and the rapid footsteps as the girl ran to the door. Maze pursed her lips for a moment. Trixie’s habit of running to the door and opening it without looking was one of the few things where she was in full agreement with the girl’s mother. She’d done her best to dissuade it, but all her efforts had been unsuccessful. As the door began to open she wondered wryly if this would be the moment that taught the small human to look first.  
  
Trixie was looking up expectantly as the door swung open, but the moment she recognized Maze her expression darkened and she began to close the door again.  
  
“I’m sorry!” Maze blurted out, knowing she only had seconds to say what she needed to say. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I would never have said it if I’d known you were there.”  
  
The movement of the door slowed, but it didn’t stop until only a narrow slit remained. From inside came the sound of the chain being fastened, but the slit remained. That was mildly encouraging, since Maze had expected to have the door slammed in her face. She decided to go on.  
  
“I know that’s no excuse, and maybe even makes it worse. And I don’t expect you to forgive me just because I’ve said I’m sorry.”  
  
She paused and took another deep breath. There was no sound coming from inside the apartment. The tiny fraction of her that had hoped, despite everything, that her friend would be willing to forgive her, withered away. Maze pushed the pain away. She had been prepared for it. Right now, she needed to finish this and leave before she overstayed her tenuous welcome.  
  
“You don’t have to worry about me hanging around and trying to get you to forgive me. I’m going away, leaving LA. I just wanted you to know that what I said wasn’t true. It was wrong of me to say it, and I am sorry.”  
  
She listened for a moment, but once again there was only silence from behind the door. Maze bit her lip and nodded curtly. “Goodbye, Trix.”  
  
Tears prickled in her eyes as she turned away and walked back to her car.  
  
She had only taken a few steps when there was the sound of the door chain being undone behind her and Trixie called out: “Why did you say it if you didn’t mean it?”  
  
Maze hastily wiped the tears away from her eyes before turning around, hope flaring in her chest.  
  
Her friend was standing in the doorway, holding onto the frame with one hand and the door with the other, blocking the entry. Maze’s hope dimmed a bit when she saw the expression on the girl’s face. It was still closed off, cold. But at least it wasn’t openly hostile, and there had been no accusation in her voice, only a sort of hurt curiosity.  
  
Maze approached her cautiously, her mind working feverishly to come up with an answer for Trixie’s question. The problem was that she didn’t have one. She decided to go with honesty.  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
It earned her a scowl. Maze sighed and ran a hand through her hair in frustration. “I was angry. Angry at myself, and at your father. What he said… I wanted to hurt him, to make him suffer for trying to throw me out of my home. Because that’s what this place was. My home, just as much as yours and your mother’s. But your dad, he acted as though it wasn’t. As though I had no right to live here.”  
  
She paused for a second, trying to rally her thoughts. “He never liked me, and he doesn’t like that we are friends. He was just waiting for a chance to get me away from you. And I was stupid enough to give him one.”  
  
Trixie shook her head in denial. “That’s not true. Daddy doesn’t hate you.”  
  
Maze couldn’t keep herself from raising a disbelieving eyebrow. “Oh really? Have you ever heard him say anything good about me?”  
  
She nodded grimly when the girl remained silent. Trixie saw the nod and scowled. “Daddy did say that you didn’t mean it when you called me a spoiled brat.”  
  
“Well, that’s true. But it doesn’t make it better, does it? I still said it. I used you to hurt him. I shouldn’t have done that. Real friends don’t use each other.”  
  
She watched the scowl turn into a frown before Trixie gave a curt nod. Maze bit her lips and continued. “I don’t expect you to forgive me. You have every right to be angry and feel betrayed. I just wanted you to know that what I said wasn’t true, and that I’m sorry.” Trixie’s expression remained cold and closed off. Maze took a deep breath and blew it out again. “I’ll go now. Goodbye Beatrice.”  
  
She turned and walked towards her car once again. And for the second time she only managed to take a few steps before her friend’s voice stopped her.  
  
“Wait!”  
  
Maze half turned and braced herself for the recriminations she knew were coming. She had already heard them all in her mind a dozen times while she waited for the chance to say goodbye. Nothing Trixie had to say could surprise her.  
  
Nothing except the words the girl actually said. “I forgive you. I don’t want you to go, Maze.”  
  
Shock kept her frozen for a second, before she finally managed to turn all the way and face her friend, heedless of the tears coursing down her cheeks.  
  
“What?”  
  
“I forgive you, Maze.” Trixie nodded solemnly. “I’m still your friend.”  
  
Maze stared at her, bewildered. “You shouldn’t. What I said-”  
  
“You didn’t mean it, and you’re sorry. That’s enough for me.” The girl smiled and opened her arms.  
  
Maze couldn’t believe it. Her best friend - her only true friend - had forgiven her and wanted her to stay. She sank to her knees and wrapped her arms around Trixie, taking great care not to squeeze too hard even though she wanted nothing more than to hang on with all her strength.  
  
A sob escaped her when Trixie hugged her back.  
  
“Thank you. Thank you so much, Trix. You’re the only real friend I’ve ever had. I love you. I’m so sorry for what I’ve said.”  
  
“It’s okay. I love you too, Maze. You’re my best friend.”  
  
They stayed like that for what felt like a long time, reassuring themselves that their friendship had survived this crisis. Eventually, Trixie loosened her hold. Maze immediately removed her arms from around the girl, not wanting her friend to feel trapped. She pulled back and made a few attempts to remove the obvious signs of her crying.  
  
Perceptive as she was, Trixie gave her some moments to compose herself. Then she looked at her inquiringly. “So, are you going to move back in here with mommy and me?”  
  
Maze froze. She hesitated, biting her lip, and then shook her head. “No. I’m sorry Trix, but I don’t think that would be a good idea. I can’t deal with your mother and all her stupid rules right now.” Seeing the disappointed look on her friend’s face, she hastened to reassure her. “But we can still spend time together. I can come over here, or you can come visit me at my new place.” She shrugged, her lips twisting into a wry grin. “As soon as I’ve got one, anyway. But that shouldn’t take long. And of course as long as your parents allow it. That’s probably going to be the bigger problem.”  
  
Trixie stuck her chin out mutinously. “They always say I get to choose my friends. You’re my best friend. That means you’re allowed to come over, and I want to see your place once you have one.”  
  
Maze’s grin widened. “Alright. Then that’s settled. And in the meantime you can call me whenever you want, okay? Doesn’t matter how early or late it is. If you need me, or if you just want to chat, call me anytime.”  
  
Trixie nodded solemnly.  
  
“I will.” She threw her arms around Maze’s waist and hugged her again. “I’m glad you’re not leaving.”  
  
Maze hugged her back. “I never wanted to leave you, Trix. I just…”  
  
She felt the girl nod. “It’s okay. Everything is okay now.”  
  
Maze couldn’t stop herself from making a sound, half protest, half amusement, but all disbelief. Trixie, thankfully, understood what she meant to express. “Between you and me I mean.”  
  
“I know. Thank you, for being such a good friend.”  
  
They stayed wrapped around each other for a little bit longer. This time it was Maze who released her hold first. “I’d better go now. Your babysitter is going to wonder what you’re doing out here for so long.”  
  
Her friend seemed completely unconcerned. “It’s okay. You could stay, you know?”  
  
Maze smiled. “Thanks, but I don’t think your mother would be happy about that. And I have some things I need to take care of anyway. Like finding a new place to live.”  
  
“Yes, so that I can visit you, and maybe we can have sleepovers!”  
  
“Sleepovers, huh?” Maze sounded skeptical.  
  
Trixie nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! We can stay up late, and watch movies, and eat all the stuff mommy doesn’t want me to eat, and paint each other’s nails, and share secrets. That’s what you do at sleepovers.”  
  
A smile spread over her friend’s face. “Sounds good. We’ll do that once I’ve found a new apartment. If your mother lets you.”  
  
“She will.”  
  
The girl spoke with absolute conviction. Personally, Maze wasn’t so sure. She remembered how uneasy Decker had been to leave her alone with her daughter at first. And that had been here, where Decker’s rules applied. But then, Trixie could be very persuasive if she wanted something. If Decker, or the Douche for that matter, tried to stop their friendship, they would have a fight on their hands.  
  
“Okay. I’ll go now. See you soon, Trix.”  
  
Trixie gave her one last, quick squeeze around the waist. “Bye, Maze. See you soon!”  
  
Maze forced herself to turn around and walk down the path towards her car. She couldn’t resist glancing back at the end of it though, and found Trixie still standing in the doorway, looking after her.  
  
A broad smile spread across the girl’s face when she met her gaze, and she waved enthusiastically. Maze waved back with equal enthusiasm, then made shooing motions. She could see her Trixie roll her eyes. Laughing, she repeated the gestures and waited until the girl had gone back into the apartment. With one last wave at the grinning face peering out through a narrow gap in the door, Maze went around the corner and continued on her way to her car.  
  
She got behind the wheel and sat there for a moment, motionless. Then she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. All thoughts of leaving LA were gone. Trixie had forgiven her. She still had one friend in this city, her only true friend. That was all the reason she needed for wanting to stay.  
  
Filled with new determination, Maze started her car and drove away. She needed to start looking for a new apartment. Some place where the only rules were her own. Somewhere she could have sleepovers with her friend.  
  


* * *

  
Once her friend had disappeared around the corner, Trixie closed the door and turned to the figure sitting on the couch.  
  
“Maze is staying.”  
  
“Splendid!” Lucifer sat up straight and grinned at her. “Well done, small human.”  
  
His eyebrows rose when the girl glared at him.  
  
“I didn’t do it for you. I meant what I said to Maze. I didn’t lie to her. She’s my best friend, and I have forgiven her for what she said, and I don’t want her to leave.”  
  
Lucifer’s expression became serious for a moment. “I know you didn’t lie to her, Beatrice. And I’m sure Maze knows it, too. You have been a great friend to her.”  
  
The words seemed to mollify the child, and he flashed her his grin again. “Regardless, you have fulfilled your side of our bargain. I owe you a favor. Is there anything I can do for you?”  
  
Trixie continued to stare at him with a slight frown. “I’ll think about it.” The frown deepened. “Why did you ask me to get Maze to stay?”  
  
“Because I don’t want her to leave, of course.”  
  
The frown turned into a scowl. Lucifer felt it burning into him, making him sink back into the couch and avert his eyes. He knew he would need to give her a better explanation if he didn’t want to end up on the little minx’s bad side. And getting on the bad side of the only person Maze currently cared about was definitely an unwise move.  
  
“Maze, she… I… she means a lot to me. We’ve been together for so long… I need her. I can’t live without her.”  
  
“Then you need to make her want to stay.”  Trixie was giving him another one of her penetrating stares.  
  
“Yes.” Lucifer smiled. “That’s why I asked you to persuade her to stay.”  
  
“No.” The girl’s voice could have cut glass. The scowl was back on her face. “You need to make her want to stay with you. Right now, Maze is only staying because of me. Not you. She doesn’t want to see you ever again, does she?”  
  
He couldn’t deny the truth. “No, she doesn’t.” A deep sigh escaped him. “I messed up, Beatrice. Where Maze is concerned, I messed up really, really badly.”  
  
“Then you have to apologize, and make it up to her.” The girl paused for a moment, and then went on, “Maze is my best friend, but you’re my friend too, Lucifer. I want us all to be friends together. That means you and Maze have to be friends again.” Determination shone in her eyes. “That’s what I want for my favor. I want us all to be friends together.”  
  
“I’m not sure that is possible, Beatrice.”  
  
Trixie drew herself up, hands on her hips, and glared at him. “You’re going back on our deal?”  
  
“No! No, of course not. I am a Devil of my word.”  
  
Lucifer watched her relax again, and wondered how he could make her understand without incurring her anger once again.  
  
“This favor you’re asking isn’t just about me, though. Maze would have to agree to be friends with me again, and I’m afraid that is not going to happen. She is never going to forgive me for what I did.”  
  
“You don’t know that,” the girl argued. “Maze thought I wouldn’t forgive her, too, but I have.”  
  
A wan smile tugged at the corners of Lucifer’s mouth. “Yes, you have. But I’m afraid what I did was worse than a few nasty and untrue words said in the heat of the moment to someone else. Much worse. Maze is not going to forgive me just because I say I’m sorry.” He laughed hollowly. “She’d probably slam the door in my face before I could get a word out if I tried. And that’s the best case scenario.”  
  
“Hm.”  
  
Trixie was clearly not happy about this explanation. An uneasy silence fell.  
  
Lucifer found himself wishing that he hadn’t sent the babysitter away with a handsome bribe and a bit of devilish charm. To her credit, the woman had been reluctant to go, and he was sure she would have refused completely if his name hadn’t been on the ‘safe list’ the Detective had given her. But her absence now meant he had to stay here and look after the offspring until her father came to pick her up.  
  
He was just wondering if he should try to find the phone number of the babysitter and call her back, when the girl spoke up again.  
  
“I think I can help you.”  
  
“You know the phone number of your babysitter?”  
  
Trixie stared at him in confusion. “I know where mom has it written down, but she can’t help you with Maze. But I can.”  
  
“Oh. Err, yes.” Of course the child hadn’t been talking about the babysitter. She couldn’t read his mind, after all, and he hadn’t told her what he had been thinking about. He gave her his full attention. “You think you can help me with Maze?”  
  
The girl nodded confidently. “Yes.” A smirk appeared on her face. “For the right price.”  
  
Lucifer’s eyebrows shot up. “Indeed? Are you proposing to make another deal with the Devil, urchin?”  
  
To his surprise, she shook her head. “Noooo. I’m proposing that the Devil makes a deal with me.”  
  
He stared at her incredulously for several seconds, and then burst out laughing. “Oh, well played. Well played indeed, young Beatrice.”  
  
Trixie had glared at his outburst, but now she was grinning again, her eyes shining with pride at his praise. Lucifer smiled. She really was very clever, almost dangerously so. Cunning. He would have to be careful not to underestimate the devious little minx in the future.  
  
“Alright, let’s hear the details of this deal you are proposing.”  
  
He waved a hand at the empty seat beside him on the couch. Grinning widely, Trixie hopped up onto it, settling down a bit too close to him for Lucifer’s comfort. Then the two of them bent their heads together and started plotting and scheming.


End file.
